Japan considers whaling to be a cultural tradition which it says it only undertakes for scientific research.
Most important to the proposal's supporters, it would end the global deadlock on whaling and once again give the IWC control over the practice.
Japanconsumes more fish than any other nation. Its fishery agencies haveadmitted their fear that if they give up on whaling, protesters willturn their focus to other types of fishing.
And we urge all countries, especially our friends in Japan, to bring their whaling programs to an end.
FOR younger readers, stories about newspapers in their heyday may have a whiff of industrial archaeology, akin to tales about whaling or steam trains.
In those ecosystems heavily impacted by whaling, the populations of smaller species increased.
The town of Lahaina is a National historic District, with timeless charm and a variety of important historic sites that take one back to the days when the town served as an important whaling port.
Japanese whaling was always going to be a major sticking point on the IWC agenda in Madeira.
In addition, a new whale sanctuary would be established in the south Atlantic, although no whaling actually occurs there now.
Japan's critics say that by using a loophole in the IWC charter to practise "scientific" whaling, the country is violating the spirit of the document.
In another series, activists go up against whaling ships.
Commercial whaling was banned worldwide 22 years ago.
